First of all, lol. Second, this reminds me of something I really do blame the CIA or at least the “deep state” for, in part anyway.
The present right-wing turn in culture, such as it is, should have happened in about 2014. We should be past it by now. Even a decade ago, though, the leading institutions were becoming brittle, unable to think in three dimensions. They couldn’t accommodate themselves by coopting, aestheticizing, and thereby politicallyneutralizing so predictable an artistic shift away from the cloying tones of the New Sincerity and the Obama-to-Occupy era of mass youth movements that failed to deliver on their utopian promise. They were already concluding that any art not didactic was crypto-fascist, instead of the truer converse according to which autonomous art secures civil freedom and fortifies the free citizen’s intellect. Ironically, these soon-to-be “anti-fascists” thought about art the way Goebbels did, in a purely instrumental and identitarian way, whereas those aesthetes they stigmatized as fascist were echoing a host of liberal and leftist thinkers from Mill to Adorno. But to understand irony, you already have to be an aesthete.
By the time Trump was elected and the legacy media in collaboration with the deep state got involved, art didn’t stand a chance; so we had half a decade of rolling top-down moral panics where a culture should have been. New networks, therefore, began to be assembled on the outside and have by now accrued the so-called cultural capital that comes in a revolutionary culture like ours when you build transgressive alternatives to whatever is moralistic and platitudinous.
But my point is that Lana del Rey’s persona in 2014, controversial at the time, was already more than halfway to the basic sentiment of the parody lyrics above. That’s why I wrote this essay in 2014 and why a mainstream lit journal was willing to publish it:
Recently, Lynn Stuart Parramore tried to explain “Why a Death-Obsessed Pop Siren Is Perfect for Late-Stage Capitalist America.” She was referring, of course, to Lana Del Rey. Parramore explains that the Ultraviolence chanteuse is only the latest heir to a long lineage of decadent femmes fatales that rise to cultural prominence at moments of perilous social transition or imminent collapse […] Parramore’s thesis may not seem to have much to do with Ira Glass’s controversial assertion, tweeted after seeing a performance of King Lear, that, “Shakespeare sucks.” But when you consider that one of the late 19th century’s favorite sources of death-and-the-maiden imagery was the drowning Ophelia, weltering picturesquely among the strewn flowers of her fatal madness, the Shakespeare/Del Rey connection becomes more plausible. Just as Parramore (and others) criticize Lana Del Rey for social irresponsibility, for promoting an anti-feminist celebration of sadomasochistic sexuality and for embracing capitalist spectacle unto death, so the most persuasive and compelling attacks on Shakespeare have charged him with amoral aestheticism and a sensationalized skepticism about human potential.
These thoughts, perfectly within the parameters of the tradition, could not be developed in those spaces after that, so the natural ebb and flow of the zeitgeist was dammed up for almost a decade—which perhaps explains the torrent that now threatens to overwhelm current hegemonic left-liberalism.
Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA is a far-reaching exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with Los Angeles. Led by The Getty, it involves more than 70 arts and cultural institutions across Southern California, from Los Angeles to Palm Springs, and from San Diego to Santa Barbara, and runs from September 2017 through January 2018.
The thematically linked exhibitions and programs of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA highlight different aspects of Latin American and Latino art from the ancient world to the present day. With topics as varied as luxury arts in the pre-Columbian Americas, 20th-century Afro-Brazilian art, alternative spaces in Mexico City, the mural tradition, and the boundary-crossing practices of Latino artists, exhibitions range from monographic studies of individual artists to broad surveys involving countries throughout Latin America.
Pacific Standard Time: Latin American & Latino Art in LA (PST: LA/LA)
Our introduction to the Pacific Standard Time initiative was in 2011 when we attended Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980 and its functions. At that time we mainly focused on the L.A. Xicano segment between Pacific Standard Time and the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center that brought “forward an astounding array of little seen works that broaden the historical record, but it also places these works into a dynamic dialogue with artistic practice today.” After contemplating over events and exhibitions pertaining to American artwork from the iconic years of the Chicano Art Movement, the PST experience had us intrigued for what was to come in the next series of occurrences.
With time to reflect on our initial observations of the Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980 and events before the next initiative. CHICANO ART MOVEMENT blog prepared to share our perspectives and closer examine the drive when the succeeding “ambitious exploration of Latin American and Latino art” affair would return in 2017, this time titled Pacific Standard Time: Latin American & Latino Art in LA (PST: LA/LA). This measure was proposed to showcase a broader perspective, including pre-Colombian era, 20th century to Afro-Brazilian art; modern, contemporary to ancient world, pre-modern era, “and boundary-crossing practices of Latino artists.” We were also motivated to gather specific knowledge for exploration in our studies from this creative effort.
With over 150+ PST: LA/LA exhibitions and planned events to choose from, we had the opportunity to visit 18 in total, mainly located in Southern California. During this series we will explore our perspectives on the artists, artwork and programming for this “far-reaching exploration of Latin American and Latino art dialogue with Los Angeles” we considered during the enterprises run.
(Detail of: art catalogs displayed behind bar at Neue house for the Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Countdown Celebration 2017)
The initial PST: LA/LA related event we attended was an invitation to the Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Countdown Celebration in January of 2017 at the NeueHouse in Hollywood, California. This event was highlighted as “a cocktail reception and special performance by Ceci Bastida to celebrate the countdown.” During the evenings reception Pacific Standard Time affiliated speakers took the podium to inform celebration guests on what had been planned for PST: LA/LA. Visuals broadcasted on different screens throughout the expansive venue offering information with images and video. This is how we became more informed on the associated artists and upcoming program scheduling. Along with the array of visual and sonic mediums that would be showcased in a multitude of venues across California. Attending also allowed us insight on the amplitude of Pacific Standard Time: Latin American & Latino Art in LA and the support there was for the large scale attempt to educate on the many different cultures of Latin American & Latino Art in LA to the masses for an enriching learning experience.
A few of my personal highlights from the night’s celebration included talking with artists and curators we recognized in attendance and, with the odds in our favor, it earned us an amusing offhand conversation with a notable Chicano scholar. Another was the interactive PST: LA/LA photo booth where we took Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Countdown Celebration 2017 themed photos. And not to forget the reveling over the bite sized Latin American cuisine classics along with complimentary cocktails for the night.
(Banner for Carlos Almaraz “Playing with Fire” exhibition at LACMA)
Starting off our first visual art experience related to PST: LA/LA occurred during our visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s (LACMA) long running “Muse ‘til Midnight” function. The August 2017 gathering explored the 90′s backyard party theme but with an adult twist. DJs spun tunes on different floors of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) and at the entrance to the party through out the night. The gathering included the after hours viewing of “Chagall: Fantasies for the Stage,” and three Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Latin American & Latino Art in LA exhibits in a festive nocturnal atmosphere.
Once on the LACMA campus we first decided to view what was a visually romantic curated exhibition which highlighted “the principal role that music and dance played in Chagall’s artistic practice.” After immersing ourselves in the ocular beauty that was “Chagall: Fantasies for the Stage,” we exited the Resnick Pavillion and walked across to BCAM and up to the third floor to view “Home—So Different, So Appealing.” Which was the beginning of our PST: LA/LA survey trifecta at the museum. Anita and I absorbed the melding of visual art and music in the galleries while we moved through different floors in the building.
As we did our walk through of “Home—So Different, So Appealing” I contemplated over the abstract familiarity of artworks included in the exhibition. The mission of the show was to “explore one of the most basic social concepts by which individuals, families, nations, and regions understand themselves in relation to others— the idea of home.” Large scale artworks like artist Daniel Joseph Martinez’s “The House America Built” took center real estate in the galleries. While impressive artworks like Mexican born artist Solomon Huerta’s large prismatic paintings adorned the gallery walls. Along with many other artists and mediums included from around the world. The piece I studied most in detail was Carmen Argote’s “720 Sq. Ft. Household Mutations, Part B, 2010.” The work was “carpet, paint, and velcro (carpet from the artist’s childhood home).” I was unexpectedly lured in by the contours in the massive hanging and mostly rolled up rug for closer inspection. Contemplating on Argote’s piece, I pondered on the ideas Carmen wanted to leave the viewer. This one left me with the essence of familiarity that is home.
After moving on from our observation of “Home—So Different, So Appealing,” we then took the elevator to the second floor of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) to experience the story of “Playing with Fire” Paintings by Carlos Almaraz would further tell us about the Chicano creative. This was a highly anticipated PST: LA/LA exhibition for us to attend during the run of the initiative. We had learned of this display coming to fruition years before when a call through the Chicano networks was put out in search of forgotten and rarely seen artworks by the Chicano master in private collections. Works were being sought for a large scale retrospective which aim was “to reconsider the artistic achievements of Carlos Almaraz in a broader context than was generally accorded in his lifetime.” And with backing of Chicano notables like actors Richard “Cheech” Marin, Richard Montoya and UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center’s Dr. Chon Noriega, many pieces came out the woodworks for the bravado display from the artist oeuvre. This exhibition along with the catalogue narrated the thought provoking triumphs and tragedies of an artist who left his brilliant brush mark on this earth.
The third and final stop at BCAM and our the last PST: LA/LA associated observation for the night was a walk across the gallery where “Playing with Fire” was exhibited and into “A Universal History of Infamy.” This complex exhibit featured “new works from boundary-defying artists who adopt methods from anthropology, theater, and linguistics.” A visually strong piece was Vincent Ramos’ “Ruins Over Visions or Searchin’ For My Lost Shaker of Salt [Ante Drawing room].” Mr. Ramos had created what appeared to be a wooden shack like structure that inside housed what looked like a showing of ephemeral American, Chicano and Mexican images under plexiglass, like magazines, photos and music in a clubhouse type manner. I experienced the progression and flow walking in and around it locating bits and pieces that would trigger a reminiscent provocation of thought. The work had recalled memories of constructing fort-like structures from reclaimed backyard items with my friends as a kid.
(View of Reynier Leyva Nova’s “S.O.U.P” installation.)
In mid September 2017, we traveled to PST’s exhibit entitled “Deconstructing Liberty: A Destiny Manifested”atMuzeo in Anaheim, California. From the Promenade Street museum entrance, we were first greeted by the staff and then by exhibit’s introduction written by curator Marisa Caichiolo. It explained that this was a collection of fourteen artists from eight countries of the western hemisphere. The first of the artists that we came to focus upon was Chicana Linda Vallejo. Her work “The Brown Dot Project” was inclusive of previously collected data about Latinos that was reformatted into familiar figures and symbols reaffirming the Latino presence is found in every sector: from health and employment to populations statistics and economic impact within the United States. Vallejo accomplished her vision by using geometric abstraction giving two distinct versions of each piece: up close and at a distance.
As we progressed and opposite to Vallejo were the works by Cuban artist Reynier Leyva Nova. His installation piece entitled “S.O.U.P. (Survival Object Under Pressure)” consisted of 272 engraved spoons with words from various political activists. While reading, I understood the creative’s point that these words continue to be revered, repeated, and remised.
Proceeding further into the exhibit, we heard ocean wave sounds and I focused in on the two miniature docks opposite from one another but tethered together via a white rope. This installation piece was “[Status] Quo” by Ricardo Rodriguez, an artist from Puerto Rico. From the museum label, it stated that this was a metaphor for the continuous complicated relationship between Puerto Rico and United States. This challenge me to think critically about the plight of los puertorriqueños to liberate la isla del encanto once more.
Continuing through exhibit, I analyzed the respective pieces by artists Leonardo González (Hondureño) and Angel Delgado (Cuban) which then evoked me to think about the gravity of capitalism within Latin American markets. These same ideas came to mind when I stood in front of Mexicana Betsabeé Romero who used reclaimed items in her work titled “Exodus” that was comprised of recycled automobile rubber tires embellished with a gold colored octagonal pattern. On the adjacent gallery wall was her artistic photograph of six Volkswagen Beetles, with personal items on the car rooftops, all stuck in an eerie automotive caravan which I perceived it being as an exodus without destination. With Romero’s use of VW Beetles, I correlated this to the social, political, economic, and environmental impacts of this vehicle production and use within Mexico since the 1960s.
As we finished our walk through of “Deconstructing Liberty: A Destiny Manifested,” the participating artists presented different outcomes of liberty and the cost of modernity for Latinoamericanos and I concluded this was ironic due to the location of the hosting institution. Muzeo is located a few blocks away from Disneyland and on the corner of Anaheim Blouevard that continues to grow and change for better or worse.
(Café Tacvba performing at Hollywood Bowl for PST: LA/LA 2017)
This September 2017 PST: LA/LA outing landed us at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California to enjoy the live musical performances by Mon LaFerte, La Santa Cecilia and Café Tacvba. For one dynamic evening in the “Film • Music • Dance Series” that featured “music from across the Americas.”
With supreme seating provided by Anita to watch all three bands was a special experience for us at the Hollywood Bowl concert venue. Kicking off the event was the country of Chile’s own Mon LaFerte. The songstress along with her large musical ensemble played uptempo dance songs throughout their set. We had an impressive introduction to the radiant sound from South America in open air Southern California. Next up was Los Angeles’ own La Santa Cecilia, a band we have become familiar with through the years exploring regional music. Along with playing numbers from their catalog they also covered some songs during their jam at the Hollywood Bowl. A couple of those included a special appearance by well known Chicano art collector and comedian Richard “Cheech” Marin. “Cheech” was brought up to sing a couple well known Cheech & Chong comedy tunes with lead singer La Marisoul for a very entertaining selection. Closing out the night was the sonic and visual performance that is the México’s Café Tacuva band. La chilanga banda had quickly elevated the art of perfromance for the night. Entering the stage under the cloak of darkness Rubén Albarrán (vocals/guitar) appeared mysteriously masked and dressed in a black cape right before the large light show exploded with bright beams into the universe that started the enthusiastic hour and a half production by the alternative rock band playing classic and recent compositions in the grandiose fashion that is Café Tacvba.
(View of dress and cape designed by Julia Johnson-Marshall for the 1968 Mexico Olympics.)
In mid-October 2017, we returned to Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to enjoy the entirety of “Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico 1915 - 1985,” another exhibition in the PST: LA/LA 2017 programming. We proceeded to main destination, the Resnick Pavilion, with tickets in hand. From the introduction, it communicated to patrons that Found in Translation was comprised of four sectors: Spanish Colonial Inspiration, Pre-Hispanic Revivals, Folk Art & Craft Traditions, and Modernism. In the accompanying catalogue, Wendy Kaplan (LACMA’s Department Head and Curator) explained in the introduction that this grand effort was the first its kind to analyze the exchange of ideas between California and Mexico & their respective manifestations in design and architecture between the years of 1915 to 1985. Kaplan further explained due to Mexico’s Revolution of 1910, it was crucial for Mexico to solidify their new identity and be on cusp of modernity in 20th century.
The first era of design that we ventured through was of Spanish Colonial Inspiration that contained various examples of how Spanish architecture dominated the landscape of Mexico and how it influenced the new image of the state of California. Post revolution, Mexico took a different approach to Spanish Colonial design that resulted in neocolonial style for art and architecture that combined Spanish colonial with indigenous iconography and elements.
For California, the translation of Spanish Colonial style was distinct in comparison. Spanish Colonial style was preferred due to its incorporation of Spanish and Mediterranean elements that were easily adaptable to the California landscape and, most importantly, it established a clear association to classic European civilizations and created distance from Mexico and its revolution of 1910. Spanish Colonial style in California was of having red-tile roofs, white stucco walls, and other Spanish & European elements; this was the standard until the 1930s. It dominated the blueprints of countless buildings: from personal homes to governmental structures such as: police stations, schools, and courthouses. One particular case study that I focused on was the city of Santa Barbara, California that after an earthquake decided to rebuild with Spanish Colonial design at the center; this resulted in many structures to be this style with the city’s courthouse being the most lavish example of Spanish Colonial style due to handcraft furniture done in Spanish Renaissance opulence, meticulous murals, and extravagant iron and woodwork.
We continued through the exhibition to the next period of design entitled Pre-Hispanic Revivals.As explained Pre-Hispanic Revivals flourished greatly due to the ease of international travel for both people and curated exhibits between 1910 - 1930 and continued as a source of inspiration in modern times. During this period, Mexico had two approaches: (1) applying Pre-Hispanic design elements from its various indigenous communities to modern items, and (2) organizing international exhibits of Mexico’s ancient indigenous artifacts to highlight the rich history of the Mesoamerican period.
For Californians, we learned it was an exportation and an unique interpretation of Pre-Hispanic designs. For some, it was the mixture of Aztec, Mayan, and other indigenous communities with home design. This was the approach that architect Frank Lloyd Wright used when creating the Hollyhock House and Ennis House, respectively. For other residents of California, the Pre-Hispanic revival was more personal particularly for Chicano and Chicana artists. Reading from the catalogue, we learned that after an inspirational trip to Mexico in 1970, David Botello applied indigenous elements of pyramids, temples, and other ancient structures to the Los Angeles landscape. Alongside Johnny D. González, they produced concept designs that reflected “Chicano urban planning” in East Los Angeles. One design was for the Tlalocán Commercial Center and another was for a Monumento de la Raza.
The third period of design we examined were of Folk Art & Craft Traditions. It was inclusive of ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and home items, wishing they were part of my collection. This section’s common denominator was of hecho en México (made in Mexico) and was a direct counter response to the industrialization movement of the 1940s & 1950s.
The catalogue stated the majority of artistic endeavors of this time was of exporting goods made in Mexico to the California market which was the case of Mexican silver from Taxco, Guerrero. During the 1950s, this small pueblo exploded to have 150 silver shops with the shop of U.S. born designer and businessman William Spratling at the forefront with international acclaim who sold items to Hollywood’s rich and famous, such as Marilyn Monroe and the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. The Mexican American sculpture artist Dora De Larios (1933 - 2018) took a different approach in the area of folk art and craft traditions and within this exhibit, two of her works were included: Warrior (1960) and Blue Dog (1979). These pieces were mesmerizing examples of how the craft traditions from the indigenous communities of Nayarit and Colima were creatively interpreted by the artist. From our Pacific Standard Time (PST) research archives, we learned De Larios’ connection to this ancestral art form was due to a trip to el Museo Nacional de Antropología en la Cuidad de México with her family at the age of eight; it explained that the famous Aztec Sun Stone took Dora’s breath away and had a lasting impact on her.
The last section of “Found in Translation” was the phase of Modernism. After World War II, the rise of modern design impacted both sides of the U.S./Mexico border particularly in the sector of home design that invited clean lines, elements of nature, and bold, solid colors into the family’s daily visual topography. In California, the city of Palms Springs was a hub of mid-century modern homes and provided an oasis retreat in the middle of the desert. Throughout Southern California, mid-century homes were owned by working middle-class families who enjoyed a comfortable space that welcomed nature and simplicity in every way, shape, and form. In comparison, the modern homes of Mexico City’s neighborhood Jardines del Pedregal were of exclusive and attainable by the country’s elite class. We read from the exhibit publication that the Jardines del Pedregal homes were indeed inspired by California’s modern design architecture but with two distinct features: location was in an urban setting compared to the desert landscape and the homes were walled off from public view by request of the owners.
Modernism design was also applied to other areas particularly to the Olympic Games hosted by Mexico in 1968. El Comité Organizador de los Juegos del la XIX Olimpiada (COJO) included designers and architects that were entrusted with the large task of incorporating art in and around the area to welcome the thousands of people in town for this special occasion. The logo for the Olympic Games of Mexico 1968 was of great triumph. Created by U.S. born graphic designer Lance Wyman, he used the Olympic rings to recreate the numerical silhouettes of the six and eight in a repeated psychedelic zebra pattern. This design was also applied to the clothing worn by the countless female hostesses of the city as a method to provide uniformity and visibility within Mexico City during this time.
Overall “Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico 1915 - 1985″ was an extensive exhibit that we perused one more time before leaving the Resnick Building. To close our trip to LACMA, we also toured PST: LA/LA’s “NuMu” (Nuevo Mueso de Arte Contemporáneo) by Guatemalan artists Jessica Kairé and Stefan Benchoam: a mobile museum contained in an egg-shape structure that in a previous life was a business stand that sold eggs.
(Lithography entitled “Mexico” by Maxine Albro from the “California Mexicana” exhibit.)
In late October 2017, Robert and I traveled to the coastal city of Laguna Beach, California to visit three PST: LA/LA exhibits. The first was “Descendants & Dissonance: Cultural Iconography in Contemporary L.A.” at the Salt Fine Art Gallery that exhibited artists Oscar Magallanes and Linda Vallejo. As I viewed the works by Oscar Magallanes of mixed media, I perceived the images as a reflection of the harsh realities of corporatism and its negative effects on people through familiar iconography. Linda Vallejo and her pieces were another installation of her series Datos Sagrados that incorporated Chicano/Latino recorded data into mandalas, geometric shapes and figures, that reflected the growing impact of the Chicano/Latino population within the United States. From PST: LA/LA literature, Sonia Romero was included in this exhibit. We inquired with gallery staff for the location of Romero’s work only to find out that, unfortunately, they were no longer on displayed due to the artist requesting their return before the closing date of the exhibition.
After the gallery, we walked to the second destination of the Laguna Art Museum on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Cliff Drive to see “California Mexicana: Missions to Murals, 1820 to 1930.” From the catalogue’s introduction written by Katherine Manthorne (guest curator of the exhibit), this collection of works was to display in chronological order the change of California from its Mexican inception to its incorporation to the United States in 1850 and its early decades as a young state located on the Pacific Ocean. From my point of view, I took this exhibit to learn more about the state’s history as well as the see other examples of the complex relationship between the distinct populations of our state: indigenous peoples, Mexicanos, Mexican Americans, and European immigrants. I also focused on the ranchero and vaquero lifestyles depicted by artists James Walker, William Han, and Henri Joseph Penelon, respectively. In addition, I concentrated on the works by William Joseph McCloskey, Norman Rockwell, and Maxine Albro that displayed the abundance of agricultural fertility in California that allowed the state to grow and create a strong economy during the early part of the 20th century.
After surveying the last room of “California Mexicana,” Robert and I walked down to the lower level of the Laguna Art Museum to see “Dan McCleary: Prints from Oaxaca.” The American artist McCleary displayed the different stages of the printmaking processes that he learned from various artists while working in Oaxaca. This included the original copper plate etchings and in their different stage variations as well as original works on canvas and prints on paper.
Stay tuned here and our other social media sites for the second installation of a three part series by CHICANO ART MOVEMENT blog’s coverage of the review of PST: LA/LA Attended Programming.
CAM:
As we prep to post part 2 of our Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA write up. Read our previous writings on the The Getty sponsored event programming.
